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AI could help us spot viruses like monkeypox before they cross over – and help conserve nature

Lookup NU author(s): Professor Cristina NeeshamORCiD

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Abstract

When a new coronavirus emerged from nature in 2019, it changed the world. But COVID-19 won’t be the last disease to jump across from the shrinking wild. Just this weekend, it was announced that Australia, is no longer an onlooker, as Canada, the US and European countries scramble to contain monkeypox, a less dangerous relative of the feared smallpox virus we were able to eradicate at great cost.As we push nature to the fringes, we make the world less safe for both humans and animals. That’s because environmental destruction forces animals carrying viruses closer to us, or us to them. And when an infectious disease like COVID does jump across, it can easily pose a global health threat given our deeply interconnected world, the ease of travel and our dense and growing cities.We can no longer ignore that humans are part of the environment, not separate to it. Our health is inextricably linked to the health of animals and the environment. This will not be the last pandemic.To be better prepared for the next spillover of viruses from animals, we must focus on the connections between human, environmental and animal health. This is known as the One Health approach, endorsed by the World Health Organization and many others.We believe artificial intelligence can help us better understand this web of connection, and teach us how to keep life in balance.


Publication metadata

Author(s): Borda A, Molnar A, Neesham C, Kostkova P

Publication type: Online Publication

Publication status: Published

Series Title: The Conversation

Year: 2022

Access Year: 2022

Acceptance date: 27/05/2022

Publisher: The Conversation

Place Published: Online

URL: https://theconversation.com/ai-could-help-us-spot-viruses-like-monkeypox-before-they-cross-over-and-help-conserve-nature-182515


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